Jackie Q
by wixley-kryptonese
Summary: There's a new face in Arkham - and once Harley gets out of Solitary Confinement, oh, the Joker is gonna make sure she answers some important questions.


Jack was bored. Harley had fallen unconscious after five self-imposed days of sleep deprivation and the docs had taken her to medical. Standing, he started pacing in his cell, wanting a distraction.

There must have been a shooting star or something, Jack thought though as the buzzer for the electronic door buzzed. Going over to the bars, he stuck his head into the gap hard enough to hurt, his cheeks stretching as he looked down the hall to the titanium reinforced steel door. What greeted him had his mouth go dry.

A short figure – as in really short – was being walked inside by four guards, who they were chained to. The boy – it was a boy, Jack was sure of it – was about four feet tall, with pale greying skin, hollow cheeks, sunken green eyes, thin blue lips, a lightning bolt scar on his forehead and a mop of messy black hair that was long enough to brush his shoulders, his fringe pushing past his eyes. He was wearing the usual Arkham Asylum prison garb – an orange jumpsuit with white sneakers – but he had the unusual accessory of a belt, that was obviously needed seeing as the uniform was practically drowning him in fabric.

But what had Jack captivated was the fact that he was a child.

The guards stopped in front of his cell, but instead of turning to him they opened up Harley's cell.

"Hey, what are you doing?" He asked as they started unchaining themselves from the boy, pushing him inside and tying an extra-long chain to the wall and his neck. "That's Harls' cell, not this kids!" He grabbed the bars beside his head, glaring viciously. "Where's Harley?! Is she coming back? You tell me where my girl is right now or I'll-"

"Shut your trap, Joker." One snapped before they shut the cell, locking him in. "Quinzel is still in medical. But after she gets out, she's going in solitary confinement."

Jack growled, clenching the bars tighter. Every time Harley went into SC she came out much more sane, which was sometimes not very good as she identified his treatment of her as abusive seeing as his idea of punishment was smacking her across the face – and she was punished a lot. But it wasn't abuse, it wasn't – she was his, and he was hers. He might get angry sometimes, but he never retaliated in anger whenever she set him straight – which wasn't as much, but even more serious than when she needed punishing.

The guards left, and he turned his attention to the new inmate in his girlfriend's cell. "What's your crime, short-stack?"

The boy looked at him blankly before looking away at the wall. Jack's eyes narrowed, before he took his face out of the bars, looking him over. Everyone had a nametag – but the swathes of fabric were hiding it.

He shifted, and Jack caught sight of it, but only caught one letter. J. "What's your name, kid?"

He didn't answer, only bringing up his legs to hug them, burrowing his head in his knees, the neck-brace shifting in a way that the Joker knew was uncomfortable. But he didn't try fixing it, only staying still – he was like an animal, trying to seem as small as possible.

"If you don't answer I'll have to give you a nickname." He said in a slight threatening tone. The boy didn't move. "I'm gonna give you a nickname if you don't start speaking up."

Then he moved.

"It's a miracle! You're moving!"

The boy shuffled over to the bars of the cell and motioned to his neck, where the brace gripped tightly. Jack went to ask what his neck-motions were about when he saw white bandages. Eyes narrowing, he cocked his head.

"What happened to your neck?" He was now genuinely worried for this kid – no matter the reason he got put in the High Security Ward, neck-injuries were a biggie.

The kid bit his lip before opening his mouth, wiggling his tongue before pointing to his neck. Jack immediately deflated.

"You're a mute. Great. I'm going to call you Trap from now on, okay? Like the term, 'shut your trap'."

The boy glared lightly before immediately cringing, looking away. Jack, not affected, started to pace in his cell. But before a minute was up, he picked up his empty food-tray and started banging it against the wall. Ten minutes later, and numerous cries of 'shut up' and other variations from the rest of the inmates, Larry and Bill Hitchcock – twin brothers, annoyingly strong – came to his cell.

"Joker, what's with the noise?" Larry grunted.

Jack stopped his banging, before pointing to the boy. "Who's he?"

Bill looked to the boy. "New inmate, innit?" He looked back at Jack, who rolled his eyes.

"No, dumbo, what's his name and what's his crime? He's a kid."

Larry snorted. "Don't you know him? I thought you would've – he's your son, ain't he? Jack Quinzel."

Jack's eyes bulged. "Harley had a kid?" When did this happen?! He'd only corrupted Harls a few years ago- actually, when did he corrupt her again? He mentally counted the years, making a face.

"How old is he?" Harls disappeared that year, that year she became sane. _Please don't say five, please don't say five-_

"Turning six in July." Bill grunted, before yanking the tray out of his grasp, Jack not even noticing as he grabbed his head, squeezing tightly as he looked at the wide-eyed boy across from him.

When the guards had gone, silence filled the Ward, only to be broken by Jack's croaking voice.

"Did you know?" The boy shook his head, before shuffling over to the cell-bars, starting to make weird signs with his hands. "Don't know how to read sign-language kid." He said, before letting go of his head and dropping to the padded concrete floor, crossing his legs. "I'm gonna keep calling you Trap, but if anyone asks your name, you write out Jack Napier Junior, got it?"

Trap nodded, biting his lip before giving a slight smile, hiding his happy face in his knees. Jack gave a smile of his own before laughing.

And for once this laugh wasn't insane.

Harley looked to the ground, mulling over her bout of SC before the buzzer sounded, the door opening. Looking up again, she saw the familiar hallway and let her mouth twitch into a slight smile before she sighed.

"Mister J, you alright in here?" She asked tiredly, immediately making his face squeeze through his cell bars, dark hazel eyes widening at seeing her.

But then, to both her surprise and horror, a small head popped out of her own cell, black haired and green eyed. They came in front of her cell, the guard giving the boy a slight glare – only for the boy to glare back, flipping him the bird. Larry grunted before kicking him through the bars, making Jack shout.

"Don't touch him! I'll kill you!"

Bill opened her cell, uncuffing her and shoving her inside. She fell to the ground in front of the boy, blonde hair falling around her pale face.

"Jackie…" She murmured, making the boy stop glaring at the guards and look at her. They stared at each other for a few more seconds before the boy leaped forward, wrapping his arms around her neck. Harley sucked in a breath, before hugging back tightly, kissing the side of his head as she shut her eyes.

"Jackie, Jackie, Jackie, I never thought I'd ever see you again."

The boy hugged her tighter, burrowing his head into her chest, when the Joker suddenly spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me, Harls?"

Harley stilled, tensing slightly before turning her head slightly, looking at the floor as she spoke.

"I didn't think you'd want a kid, puddin'. I love you, I really do, but I didn't think you'd want 'im." She muttered, before letting go of her son and turning around to face him properly. The Joker's face was like stone, anger in his eyes barely restrained.

"He's my son."

"Yes." She said guiltily, bringing up a knee and resting her chin on it, wrapping her arms around it. Behind her, Jack shuffled around to her side, watching them both.

"Why didn't you just say you were pregnant?" Harley flinched at his growl. "I would have done something, made you both safe! Where did you even put him? He's chained to the bloody wall, for gods sake!"

Harley frowned, looking to Jack, hands coming up to his neck-brace. A growl escaped her mouth, before she took out a kerbie from her hair, starting to pick the lock.

"I took 'im to my cousin, Petunia. She refused to take 'im though, and told me to go to her adoptive sister, Lily. I did, and she and 'er husband adopted 'im – renamed 'im Harry for 'is own protection – but somethin' must have happened." The collar clicked, Harley immediately taking it off his neck and throwing it against the wall. Jack immediately went to take off the bandages around his neck, but Harley caught his hands.

"What happened?"

The Joker's anger dissipated as he spoke. "He's mute, Harls. Something happened to his neck, obviously, and it took away his voice. He can't speak. Or won't, but that's probably not true."

Harley let go of Jack's hands, and started unwrapping the bandages herself, not even flinching at the sight of a stitched jagged scar over his neck. Her fingers brushed around the area, which was still red from blood.

"This wasn't made by him." She muttered as Jack grimaced. "Stay still Jackie. I've got medical training, though usually I'm not sane enough to even remember before your dad saved me." She probed the area, before humming. "It's all healed up. Don't know why the stitches are still in though. They need to be taken out." She wiggled one, making a thin line of blood start to spill. "Holy smokes, who the hell did these stitches? These are crap. Jack, is Ivy here?"

Jack grumbled before shouting. "IVY!"

"What?!" A female shouted back. Harley raised her voice to answer.

"Ivy, can you make some of that knock-out flower? And that one that creates the skin-glue?"

Ivy seemed confused. "Harley? What's the matter with you? You aren't insane."

Harley rolled her eyes. "I was in Solitary Confinement for a month, and Doctor Cassidy had her claws in me. But can you make them?"

There were a few seconds of silence before green vines started to creep through the corridor, stopping just outside Harley's, Jack's and the Joker's cells. Harley plucked one of each flower – bright neon yellow and red and purple – before giving them to Jack.

"Eat the red and purple one, Jackie."

Tentatively, he took the flower, giving it a familiar mistrustful look before putting it in his mouth, swallowing it whole. A few seconds later, his eyes rolled backwards in his head, Harley catching him as he started to fall. Then, turning his body, she rubbed the other flower's leaves together, making a sap start to cover them. She put them around the stitches before using her nails to snip the visible strings, tugging them out. His neck started to bleed, but as soon as the sap touched the blood, it congealed quickly, turning a dark green. A minute later, Jack was lying on the bed, neck green and soft snores escaping him.

Wiping her hands, she gave her thanks to Ivy before sitting against the wall, avoiding looking at anyone.

The Joker wasn't at all impressed. "Harls. Look at me." A few seconds passed. "Look at me, Harls, or I swear-"

"You swear what? That you'll kill me? Punish me once you break the three of us out? J, I don't give a flying fuck about what you want right now. I just found out my son, who lived in Britain, is in Arkham Asylum after someone tried and failed to slit 'is throat. Also, you and 'e have developed some sort of relationship, which in the long run doesn't benefit me at all, puddin'. Just give me a few minutes to adjust."

The Joker stared at the blonde. _The love of my life is telling me to shut up after I confront her about our hidden son. Uh, no._

"No." He repeated out loud, standing before pointing his finger at her. "You hid my son from me! You ran away! I love you Harley, and this is how you repay me?!"

Harley glared at him viciously, and the Joker saw an unfamiliar glint in her eyes. "Repay you? You twisted me, contor'ed me, destroyed who I was and replaced me with your own little pet psychopath! Just because I had your fucking kid doesn't entitle you to knowing about 'im! I made a choice, and I 'ave lived with it for nearly six fucking years!" She seethed, before spitting at him through the bars, grabbing them tightly and glaring at him hard.

"You ruined my life, plain and simple, puddin'."

The Joker's angry look froze, his head tilting slightly at her outburst. He didn't know what to say for a few seconds.

"Do you love me?" He asked, making her roll her eyes.

"Of course I do, Jack. I'll never not love you – but sometimes you go too far. I gave Jackie up so 'e could have a normal life. I didn't want for 'im one day to be shunted off into protective custody because we died, or because we didn't escape. I didn't want 'im to lose his parents because I was selfish."

The Joker swallowed. "He lost more than his parents – he can't speak!"

"And that's less emotional trauma than losing the only two people to care about you! I should know! My parents died when I was sixteen, and I thought the world had fucking ended!" She shouted, wiping angrily at a tear that ran down her cheek. "I know people who have never talked their entire life, and those who have and they lost their voice – the ones that lost their voice didn't lose as much as they did when their folks finally bit the dust! I didn't want that for 'im, Jack. And I didn't want to lose 'im neither."

She gave up trying to brush her tears away.

But something didn't make sense to the Joker. That last sentence- "'Lose him neither'? What is that supposed to mean?"

Harley pressed her head to the bars, bringing up a hand to wipe her face. "The Joker and Harley Quinn: crime duo, wanted by all of Gotham, and they have a _son_. People hate us enough they'd kill him just to jolt our schedule, J."

There was a beat.

"But that should scare them all away from him! He's my _son!_ They should be _terrified_ by him! We could teach him how to protect himself, Harls!"

Harley just shook her head and finished up with Jackie. "You should have never met 'im."


End file.
